UPDATE: Lemire & Sorrentino Take Over "Green Arrow"

Amidst the news of new DC Comics announcements made earlier today was the news that Ann Nocenti will step down as writer on "Green Arrow" to write a "Katana" miniseries drawn by Alex Sanchez. Starting with "Green Arrow" #17, "Animal Man" writer Jeff Lemire and "I, Vampire" artist Andrea Sorrentino will take on the emerald archer for a new direction in the series.

In response to the news, Lemire has posted to his personal blog, teasing his plans for the book as well as a piece of black-and-white teaser art from Sorrentino.

Andrea Sorrentino's teaser art for "Green Arrow."

"I couldn't be more excited about the character and the series and have a bold new direction for the book planned," Lemire said on his blog.

The writer further elaborated on Twitter, stating (contrary to rumors) he will continue on as writer for all his existing DCU titles, stating he plans to stay on "Animal Man," "Justice League Dark" and "Green Arrow" "for a long time."

"Have looooong [sic] term plans for Ollie. Big new mythology, new villains. And [Andrea Sorrentino] has raised his game big time. His best career work," Lemire said. "If you liked Mike Grell's GA run, Andy Diggle's 'Year One' or Denys O'Neil's 'Question,' you'll probably dig my take on Ollie."

"Green Arrow" along with Nocenti's "Katana" miniseries and a "Vibe" book by Andrew Kreisberg are expected to tie in to the February launch of Geoff Johns and David Finch's "Justice League of America."

UPDATE 11/05/12 10:40 AM PT:MTV has posted an essay from Lemire entitled "How about Green Arrow" along with a first look at Andrea Sorrentino's cover for "Green Arrow" #17.

"Green Arrow is a character that always has the potential to be a major player in the DCU," Lemire says in his essay. "When I took on Animal Man, I immediately saw it as a chance to do my version of the classic Vertigo horror/superhero books I loved as a teenager. And, similarly, the first thing I thought of with Green Arrow was a chance to do a really hard hitting, crime/superhero book in the tradition of Mike Grell’s classic run on the character or Denny O’Neil’s The Question comics from the late '80s early '90s. Quite simply, I wanted to make Green Arrow a hunter again. A street level hero of the gutters caught up in a world of violence, betrayal and conspiracy. My ever growing plans for the book will build a huge new mythology around Green Arrow’s legacy and send him across the globe, all the while trying to stay one step ahead of a deadly new cast of villains with mysterious ties to his past."

Andrea Sorrentino's cover for "Green Arrow" #17

E.O.D. UPDATE: As expected, MTV has now posted some more info on the "Katanna" and "Vibe" ongoings including a pair of covers for the series by David Finch: